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Indian Americans own about half of all the motels in the United States. Even more remarkable, most of these motel owners come from the same region in India and―although they are not all related―seventy percent of them share the surname of Patel. Most of these motel owners arrived in the United States with few resources and, broadly speaking, they are self-employed, self-sufficient immigrants who have become successful―they live the American dream. However, framing this group as embodying the American dream has profound implications. It perpetuates the idea of American exceptionalism―that this nation creates opportunities for newcomers unattainable elsewhere―and also downplays the inequalities of race, gender, culture, and globalization immigrants continue to face. Despite their dominance in the motel industry, Indian American moteliers are concentrated in lower- and mid-budget markets. Life Behind the Lobby explains Indian Americans' simultaneous accomplishments and marginalization and takes a close look at their own role in sustaining that duality.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"For many motel owners, Dhingra says, it's more than a job. 'They talk about it in the same way as if they'd built their own car―in a really sincere and emotional way,' he said, adding that when he'd walk through a motel with the owners, they would often brag about how they'd done remodeling, new wiring or put in new carpeting. 'It's not just a business to them; it's a way of life. They may not make a lot of money, but most are able to send their kids to college, provide a living and it's also seen as a property investment.'" (Matthew Hilburn Voice of America)

"In Life Behind the Lobby, Dhingra, who was born in India but grew up in the US, tells how Indian Americans came to dominate the motel business. . . Dhingra's empathy for the motel owners he has interviewed is obvious in the easy way he begins to speak in their words, whether quoting directly or simply imagining himself in their shoes. . . Dhingra's expertise in connection with Indian American motel owners will serve him well as he curates a traveling exhibit on Indian American heritage for the Smithsonian Institution." (Greg Varner Colorlines.com)

"Life Behind the Lobby assesses a central debate about U.S. migration: should the achievements of self-employed migrants be regarded as evidence of the openness, tolerance, and meritocracy of an increasingly neoliberal American society, or should their sacrifices, confrontations with racism, and feelings of social marginalization be taken as proof of the enduring place of discrimination, inequality, and white privilege? Pawan Dhingra's sophisticated and highly original analysis does much to advance our understanding of international migration, ethnic entrepreneurship, and migrants' ability to work collectively to cope with, if not fully overcome, the circumstances they face." (Steven J. Gold Michigan State University, author of The Store in the Hood: A Century of Business and Conflict (2010))

"This book is necessary reading for any race, ethnicity, or immigration scholar as it provides a critical and necessary contribution to the literature―one that further reveals the subethnic, socioeconomic, and gender diversity within the ethnic category of Asian Indian Americans, and more broadly, within the racial category of Asian America." (Monica M. Trieu American Journal of Sociology)

"A strength of this book is its focus on the Indian state of Gujarat, the home of the Patels, because most research on immigrants ignores regional differences. . . Recommended." (J. Hein CHOICE)

Read interviews with the author at:NPR's All Things ConsideredWall Street Journal's India Real Time blogVoice of AmericaColorlinesChronicle of Higher EducationHyphen MagazineThe Times of India

"Pawan Dhingra has written a pioneering book on the world of American motels and hotels. Close attention to the stories told by the people who work in the trade allows Dhingra to go behind the stereotypes, and give us a tale of human beings struggling to make livings and lives. This is a people's sociology of hotel work." (Vijay Prashad Trinity College)

"Nearly half of the motels in the U.S. are owned by Indian Americans . . . Pawan Dhingra set out to examine why such an ubiquitous and distinctly American roadside fixture became so popular among this community, focusing on a surge of Gujarati motel keepers who contributed to the 'Patel motel' phenomenon . . . From participating in community volleyball games to attending local Diwali festivals, Mr. Dhingra dove headfirst into a world he described as being 'uniformly generous.' In tracing the daily lives of Indian American moteliers, Mr. Dhingra discovered a world brimming with long hours, low wages and an intense dependence on the family network." (Aarti Virani The Wall Street Journal)

"Dhingra conducted more than 100 interviews with motel owners, observing their families at work, over a period of several years to research in detail the grand story of entrepreneurship, the American dream and exceptionalism. The question he poses: Are the achievements of motel owners' proof of acceptance and openness of an American society or are their battles with race or culture evidence that discrimination and inequity continue to exist?" (Nitish Rele Khaas Baat)

Top customer reviews

I bought this book after hearing about it on NPR. I've noticed lots of motels are owned by Indians but never understood why. It's amazing what they've accomplished. It's a true American story that these immigrants arrive with nothing and end up owning so many motels.

The book is dense, nuanced, and deeply researched. It is written at a college level and contains extensive references. It is not light summer beach reading.

I'll never look at a motel the same way again. I highly recommend this book. It's a compelling story about immigration and the American dream.

Really very enjoyable read. I read it for class but had never even heard of the "Patel Motel" stereotype (which shows how much I know about non-Hispanic immigrants in the U.S. :/) and the qualitative aspects were really excellent. The book was very thorough, but most importantly to me, at least, the prose was compelling and readable. All the information in the world is no good if it's impossible to get through, and this book manages those pitfalls splendidly.

I bought this book for my girlfriend who oves sociology. She read it in no time and really found it informative. I've suggested it to an instructor friend of mine who teaches motel and hotel management.

This was a tough read. I was expecting a treatment like "Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States" or anything by Mark Kurlansky, author of Salt and Cod, all of which were eminently readable, entertaining, and educational. Instead it read like a college paper or thesis (that may have been challenged). And that is a shame because the subject matter is fascinating and worthy of attention. Indian American motel owners "claim about half of all the nation's motels and hotels". These proprietors own upwards of two million rooms. Even more intriguing is the fact that seventy percent of these owners share the surname, Patel, and have come from the Indian state of Gujarat (but not all are related to each other). The narrative aspects of the book fall short too and that is a shame given the amazing sweat equity these entrepreneurs pour into the trade.

I'm of Indian American descent and while traveling, even I've often wondered about the phenomenon of Indian American motels and hotels. I found out about this book after hearing about it through both the WSJ and NPR- which rarely agree on anything.

This is just one of those books that needed to be written- half of the motels in the United States are owned by a single minority group. It is somewhat similar to the Korean-American owners of bodegas or Chinese-American laundromats in NYC. This book answers how a single minority group (Gujratis within a minority group of South Asians) come to exert such industry dominance for an entire country.

The book is slightly scholarly at times- but perhaps I've just gotten too used to glib Malcolm Gladwell-esque pithy observations. But the amount of research and the quality of writing is very clear- and it's well worth the time to anyone interested in American exceptionalism, entrepreneurship and American success stories.

This book nails it. the patel community specifically lives behind the lobby like animals in those dirty nasty motels. THey are an embarrassment to the Indian society in the US. dr . dhingra really showed the indian community's dirty laundry by writing this book. It is accurate and very telling. it is both sad and encouraging.

Patels are the indians that other indians are ashamed about. They are uneducated low-class garbage and are like locusts infesting small towns in america.